• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.191-200
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• 1987

The activation mechanism of the sustained contractions induced by norepinephrine and K-depolarization was studied in renal vascular muscle. Helical strips of arterial muscle were prepared from rabbit renal arteries. All experiments were performed in Tris-buffered Tyrode solution which was aerated with 100% $O_2$ and kept at $35^{\circ}C$. Renal arterial muscles developed a contracture rapidly when exposed to a 40 mM K-Tyrode solution. In the absence of external $Ca^{2+}$, however, no K-contracture appeared. The contracture induced by K-depolarization was abolished by the treatment with $Ca^{2+}-antagonist\;(verapamil)$ or lanthanum $(La^{3+})$. From these results, it is obvious that K-contracture of renal arterial strip required $Ca^{2+}$ in the medium and this contracture was developed by the increased $Ca^{2+}-influx$ due to K-depolarization. Noradrenaline (5 mg/l) induced also a similar sustained contraction rapidly in all strips. Even on the K-contracture and in $Ca^{2+}-free$ Tyrode solution and also in the Tyrode solution pretreated with verapamil or $La^{3+}$, noradrenaline produced a contraction. However, the contraction in $Ca^{2+}-free$ Tyrode solution was not sustained and decreased gradually. The amplitude of noradrenaline-induced contracture was dependent on external $Ca^{2+}$; The contracture increased dose-dependently, but over 3 mM $Ca^{2+}$, decreased. The results of this experiment suggest that K-contracture was developed by an increased $Ca^{2+}-influx$ due to membrane depolarization, while noradrenaline-induced contracture was developed by both transmembrane $Ca^{2+}-influx$ and the mobilizaiton of cellular $Ca^{2+}$

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 1982

Force development of smooth muscle cells is directly regulated by the concentration of free calcium ions in the sarcoplasm, and the sarcoplasmic concentration of calcium ion can be modulated by electrogenic Na-K pump. The role of Na-K pump on vascular tone was studied in isolated rabbit renal artery. Helical strips of arterial muscle were prepared from left renal arteries. All experiments were performed in $HCO_3^--buffered$ Tyrode solution which was aerated with $3%CO_2-97%\;O_2$ mixed gas and kept at $35^{\circ}C$. In some experiments, rabbit was injected intraperitoneally $18{\sim}24$ hours prior to the experiments, with a large dose(5 mg/kg body wt) of reserpine, in order to eliminate the catecholamines present in intrinsic adrenergic nerve terminate. Treatment used in this experiment that inhibits Na-K pump was the exposure of strips to K-free Tyrode solution. Contractile response to K free Tyrode solution developed slowly and the time required for maximum contracture was $20{\sim}30$ minutes. This K-free contracture was rapidly relaxed by the addition of potassium to the bathing solution. No K-free contracture occurred in a Ca-free Tyrode solution. But contraction developed rapidly when calcium ion was added to the bathing solution after 30 minute exposure of the strip to Ca-free Tyrode solution. This contracture was completely inhibited by Ca-antagonist, verapamil. The K-free contracture was abolished by ${\alpha}-adrenergic$ blocker, phentolamine, as well as by the catecholamine depletion from adrenergic nerve terminals. Even in reserpinized strip, the exogenous norepinephrine-induced contraction in K-free Tyrode solution was rapidly suppressed by the addition of potassium ion. The results of this experiment suggest that K free contracture develops by norepinephrine release from adrenergic nerve terminals, while the relaxation of K-free contracture is induced by the activation of electrogenic Na-K pump.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.293-303
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• 1990

The contractile action of barium $(Ba^{2+})$ was investigated in the arterial strip of rabbit renal artery. The helical strip of isolated renal artery was immersed in the Tris-buffered Tyrode's solution equilibrated with 100% $O_2$ at $37^{\circ}C$ and its isometric tension was measured. $Ba^{2+}-induced$ contraction of arterial strip was dose-dependent and its maximal tension corresponded to $92.1{\pm}4.5%$ of tension by $K^+(100\;mM)$. $Ba^{2+}-induced$ contraction did not show the tachyphylactic phenomenon in the normal Tyrode's solution. $Ba^{2+}$ induced the tonic contraction in the $Ca^{2+}-free$ tyrode's solution and that was increased by the extracellula addition of $Ca^{2+}$. During the repeated exposure of the same dose of $Ba^{2+}\;(10\;mM)$ in the $Ca^{2+}-free$ Tyrode's solution, $Ba^{2+}-induced$ contraction was progressively decreased. Even though the intracellular NE-and caffeine-sensitive $Ca^{2+}$ was depleted, $Ba^{2+}$ induced the tonic contraction. After the pretreatment of lanthnum or verapamil, $Ba^{2+}$ did not induce contraction. $Ba^{2+}-induced$contraction was suppressed by extracellular $K^+$ in the normal Tyrode's solution and that was dependent on $K^+$ concentration. Suppressive effect of $K^+\;(14\;mM)$ on the $Ba^{2+}-induced$ contraction was also dependent on the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. From the above resuts, it is suggested that $Ba^{2+}$ activate indirectly the contractile process by promoting the mobilization of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ and the influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$. It is also suggested that action of $Ba^{2+}$ on the $Ca^{2+}-activated$ $K^+$ channel can result in the depolarization of cell membrane in the rabbit renal artery.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.351-361
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• 1989

The contraction of renal arterial strip by no.epineph.me (NE) or 40 mM $K^+$ were Significantly attenuated after histamine $(10^{-5}\;M)-induced$ contraction. The mechanisms of this phenomenon were investigated in the helical strips of isolated renal artery with the measurement of isometric tension. The arterial strip was immersed in the tris-buffered Tyrode's solution which was equilibrated with 100% $O_2\;at\;35^{\circ}C$. The contraction was induced by NE or 40 mM $K^+$ during the recovery from the histamine-induced contraction which lasted for 15 minutes. The contraction by NE was also attenuated in the $Ca^{2+}-free$ Tyrode's solution and the increase of contraction by addition of 2 mM $Ca^{2+}$ was attenuated as well. This attenuation phenomenon was not observed in the presence of low concentration $(3{\times}10^{-7}\;M)$ of histamine. This attenuation was not affected by destruction of endothelium, pretreatment with papaverine or propranolol. This attenuation was partially inhibited by pretreatment of ouabain or in low $K^+(0.5 mM)$ Tyrode's solution. But the attenuation in the $Ca^{2+}-free$ Tyrode's solution was not inhibited. Furthermore this attenuation was completely blocked by pretreatment of djphenhydramine $(H_1-receptor blocker)$ and potentiated by pretreatment of cimetidine $(H_2-receptor\;blocker)$. This attenuation Phenomenon was disappeared after recovery of 1 hour. From the above results, it is suggested that the attenuation phenomenon may be resulted partially from the activation of $Na^+-K^+$ exchange pump and partially from the depletion of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ pool after the histamine-induced contraction mediated through $H_1-receptor$ function.